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Above: Our Boxing Day volunteers – and they were called out on a job so it was fortunate they were there.

Around the Rigging Welcome to our new Members. We look forward to seeing you around the base.

We always consider our volunteers are special people and they have done particularly well with spreading the word about VMRB at several events including Jingle By the Bay in Sandgate on 6th Dec. (page 9), Bribie Island Christmas Lights Boat Parade on 14th Dec. (page 9) and our Christmas Food Trucks Event on 20th Dec. (page 5).

Crews become tight-knit units and a couple of them have held their own end-of-year celebrations, including their long-suffering partners who have to manage in the volunteers’ absence. (Page 6)

We’re still looking for a Manager (or more than one to share the tasks) for our Venue which is a major earner for us; we put the revenue towards our operating expenses. See page 8 for requirements.

Another avenue for fundraising is our Easter raffle. Prizes are well worth winning for a small $5 ticket price. (Page 10 gives full details.) However, for tickets or more info, contact Paul Hollingdale, jnr.vice.president@vmrbrisbane.com.au

Hopefully something that will help reduce our expenditure is the recent installation of solar panels on our main building (page 4).

If you’re planning to attend the crew training night, make sure you email our UTC Dean on utc@vmrbrisbane.com.au.

As usual, I’d like to thank the many photographers and contributors to Boat Talk.

VMR Brisbane is proudly supported by

Boat Talk VMR Brisbane’s Monthly Newsletter

VMR BRISBANE DECEMBER 2019

FULL

MEMBERS Jay Boultbee

Darryl Gilbert

Michael Martin

Luke Ross

Nathan Ross

5 Michael

Martin

95 Allpass Pde, Shorncliffe Qld 4017 Ph: 07 3269 8888 Fax: 07 3269 2245 www.vmrbrisbane.com.au After Hours Emergency Mobile 0428 022 881

WATERSIDE

ASSIST

Brad Hay

John Hose

Chris Miller

Anthony Marmotta

Damian Simpson

Craig Stegman

Michael Sutherland

7

DATES TO REMEMBER CREW TRAINING NIGHT

7.00 pm, Tuesday, 14th January, 2020

FOOD TRUCK EVENT Hosted by Alpha Crew:

Friday, 17th January, 2020 4.00 p.m. to 8.00 p.m.

AUSTRALIA DAY BY THE BAY From 3.00 pm, Sunday, 26 January, 2020

at VMRB

ACTIVE CREW

0

President’s Report All of us at VMR Brisbane hope everyone has a had a very merry and safe Christmas and a happy new year.

When you read this newsletter you could be forgiven for

thinking that life for our volunteers has been one big party in December but at each of the social events they have been promoting VMR. We are pleased to welcome more new members as seen on page 1 and trust they can enjoy the social camaraderie as well as their service to the community.

Our thanks to Angie and Nino for packing the hampers which were given to each of the crews in December as a token of our appreciation for their volunteering throughout the year.

Thanks to Jared Cassidy, BCC Councillor, for supporting our Food Trucks Christmas party evening. Santa arrived by Rescue Boat after crashing his sleigh into the mud (well that is Santa’s story… maybe a little too much Egg Nog…) to meet a very excited crowd, as you will see on page 5, and left being chauffeur-driven by an elf in a BMW convertible. Tough gig: only works one day a year and gets spoilt in between!

I am particularly grateful to Darren, Dean and Jack for giving up their Christmas Day to man our base. Likewise Greg, Karl, Ben, Col, Robert, Shane and Mike devoted their Boxing Day to making sure VMRB could help anyone in need on the water. In fact they did have a trailer sailer in distress and unfortunately they were only on their second day out since buying the boat from the original owner. We find it is often the case that the enthusiasm of a new purchase is outweighed by inexperience or lack of maintenance so our volunteers carry out a vital service returning them safely to shore.

Another thing we recommend the boating public should consider is weather, to ensure you are adequately prepared for adverse conditions.

We are always happy when our volunteers attain another level in their training. Ben, Darren, Ian, Sam, Cameron and Damian have had their ratings upgraded to Night Rating and Open Water Class.

Two stripes have been earned by Gordon Kreutzer so he is officially competent crew now.

There has been a lengthy review of volunteer marine services with a view to merging into one State service. The Bluewater Review has now been completed and we are waiting for their recommendations. In the meantime, I invite you to

read https://www.qfes.qld.gov.au/Pages/Review-VMR.aspx

There is going to be quite a bit of organised on-the-water activity in the next couple of months. Several of our Sandgate Yacht Club members will be competing in the 58th Flying Fifteen Australian Championships at Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron from 12th to 18th January, 2020. Our radio volunteers will help with the skeds overnight for the QCYC’s Surf to City (Southport to Brisbane) yacht race on 1st/2nd February.

Another of our associate clubs, the Polynesian Va’a-Alo Outrigger Canoe Club, will be running a regatta In Bramble Bay on 15th February. This should be quite a spectacle and one to certainly put in the diary and come and check out. More on this next month…

One big change as a result of our sponsorship from Kedron-Wavell RSL is the renaming of our rescue boats to Kedron-Wavell 1, 2 and 3. So when you hear radio messages to and from the Kedron-Wavell call signs you know they are the VMRB boats.

Steele Consulting has been engaging with our associate and affiliate groups so we can try and make the Aquatic Activities Access Area as multi use as possible to cater for all types of Aquatic Activities no matter your level of experience or ability in whatever activity you choose.

There will be lots of fun on 26th January, 2020 when Deagon Ward Councillor Jared Cassidy, who is hosting the day, alongside State Member for Sandgate, Stirling Hinchliffe, and Federal MP for Lilley, Anika Wells, sponsor a community fun day from our base. Come along from 3 pm and join in the celebrations for Australia Day.

Safe Boating

Thomas Grice

President

VMR Brisbane

January 2020 Crew Roster Wed 1 Alpha

Sat 4 Bravo Sun 5 November

Sat 11 Charlie Sun 12 Papa

Sat 18 Delta Sun 19 Quebec

Sat 25 Foxtrot Sun 26 Tango

Mon 27 November

February 2020 Crew Roster Sat 1 Alpha Sun 2 Papa

Sat 8 Bravo Sun 9 Quebec

Sat 15 Charlie Sun 16 Sierra

Sat 22 Delta Sun 23 Tango Sat 29 Foxtrot

VMR BRISBANE 2 DECEMBER 2019

Activations

DECEMBER

13th - A night time callout by Water Police to a search off Margate for a missing kayaker. The crew was stood down by the Water Police after 4 hours with nothing found.

14th - Both Sandgate 1 and Sandgate 2 proceeded to Bribie Island to take part in the VMR Bribie Christmas lights sail past. Valuable night training was gained by the crews on both VMR Brisbane vessels.

21st - Tow a disabled 17m cruiser (20 tons est weight) with 2 POB from Mud Island to Garnet Rock where the tow was passed to Coast Guard Redcliffe. (It only took 30 mins to reach the cruiser but 2 hours to return with the boat in tow.)

22nd – “Great end of year day for November Crew, weather was perfect. We had a visit from the Water Police, arriving on the large black Stealth boat, named 'Casey Blain'. Water police gave a good briefing to us all on the capabilities of the boat. Before day end we did a tow job from Port of Brisbane to the Whyte Island boat ramp for a 5.5 metre vessel with 2 POB that had broken down."

26th - Our Boxing Day volunteer crew towed a trailer sailer with a broken rudder and four POB from the CTC leads in choppy conditions back to the public ramp without further incident.

29th - Tow a VMR member’s disabled 8m yacht with engine failure and 2 POB from the Toowong Reach

of the Brisbane River to Colmslie boat ramp.

(Cont’d page 4)

ACTIVE CREW ANNIVERSARY Congratulations and thank you to the following crew members who volunteered more than 5 years ago and who joined in December.

Callum Baird 1994 25 years

Ross Lind 1999 20 years

Brian Matthews 2001 18 years

Kerry Kyle-Little 2009 10 years

Vic Kussrow 2012 7 years

Judd McCann 2014 5 years

VMR BRISBANE 3 DECEMBER 2019

Note: no mast and now no engine!

VMR BRISBANE 4 DECEMBER 2019

Activations (cont’d from page 3)

31st - Additional night training gained by VMRB crew members when Sandgate 1 was used as a security vessel to assist Water Police with vessel control during the New Year’s Eve fireworks celebrations in the Southbank area of the Brisbane River.

Photo above by Glenn, photo below by Kyle Reis

Thank you to all the crews who are able to assist with any activations and who are on standby. We really appreciate receiving activation details and photos to help promote VMR Brisbane. Please email any information through to editor@vmrbrisbane.com.au and also to social.media@vmrbrisbane.com.au

December in Summary

Activations: 26

Fuel Used: 2,503

People Assisted: 10

Groups of VMRB Our Association is made up of the following clubs. Please click on the logo to find out more details.

Solar Panels Installation

You can see from the photo (above) that it was a very windy day on 17th December when the solar panels were fitted to our roof.

We now have a 13.2 Kilowatt system. It was chosen because it will give us the best Return on Investment of about 3 to 4 years to pay for itself. Scheduled modifications to our Cold Room will provide even greater savings.

We received a dollar-for-dollar Stronger Communities Programme Grant from the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Cities and Regional Development with the support of Anika Wells, Federal MP for Lilley.

We would like to thank: Neil Sheppard for his efforts in securing this

funding for us.

Michael and Anita Payet from Electrical Energy Savers for conducting an audit and consultation on our requirements to scope the solar panel project for the best benefit to VMRB. www.electricalenergysavers.com.au, and

Rob and the Safe and Sure Team for acting so promptly after being given the go-ahead to secure all the solar equipment and installation before the end of 2019. www.safe-sure.com.au.

Paradise…

This cartoon from cruiser Sarah Steenland at https://www.sarahsteenland.com/ bears a resemblance to the photo Kerry of Papa Crew took of the many boats at Tangalooma on 29th December!

Food Truck Event Foxtrot Crew was on duty on Friday, 20th December for the bar servicing the Food Trucks’ customers It was a special evening as The Multitude Choir sang Christmas carols from 7 pm. Then Santa arrived on our main rescue boat and he and his helper (Editor Elf) handed out sweets provided by Cr. Jared Cassidy, our Patron and Councillor for Deagon Ward. Santa left in a convertible which he found harder to get into than his normal sleigh.

Alpha Crew will be serving drinks including boutique beers provided by the All Inn Brewing Co on Friday, 17th January, 2020, from 4 pm to 8 pm.

Come along and support your club while having a night out. Club members are invited to stay later to take the opportunity to catch up with fellow members; you can meet upstairs if you like.

VMR BRISBANE 5 DECEMBER 2019

Foxtrot Crew manning the bar, some of the crowd, the

SYC table, the Multitude Choir performing, Santa and Elf

Assistant and the crowd of children.

VMR BRISBANE 6 DECEMBER 2019

Christmas Hampers Angie and Nino made sure all the crews were remembered with special treats while on duty in December.

Deagon Bulk Meats

Our honorary Members are always helping out and this time Deagon Bulk Meats thought of our Christmas Day and Boxing Day volunteers and surprised them with delicious antipasto platters.

(Above) Happy Christmas Day Volunteers

Crew Christmas Celebrations

Above: “What better introduction to Foxtrot Crew than to do some navigation and local knowledge training that

saw us ending up visiting our friends at Marine Rescue North Stradbroke Island with cake and goodies. Thanks,

Marine Rescue North Stradbroke Island for your hospitality and welcoming our two new members.”

(Above) most of the Tuesday Crew preparing for lunch and (below) some of the Tuesday Crew with partners at

morning tea on another day.

(Below) November Crew invited their wives and partners down for a BBQ lunch. A visit from the Water Police had

them learning about the Casey Blain’s abilities.

(Above): Penny, Brenda at the controls and Julie

Packing Day for Angie with 12 hampers, and (below) some of our

Boxing Day volunteers investigate

the indulgences.

Australia Day by the Bay Sunday, 26 January from 3pm at VMRB

There are going to be some changes to Sandgate’s 2020 Australia Day celebrations, but the spirit of fun and community will remain the same. Deagon Ward Councillor Jared Cassidy, who is hosting the day, alongside State Member for Sandgate, Stirling Hinchliffe, and Federal MP for Lilley, Anika Wells, said the Australia Day by the Bay festival was a welcoming and friendly celebration. “It’s a special day for our community, welcoming new citizens in the morning at the Sandgate Town Hall and then they can play some beach cricket in the afternoon,” Cr Cassidy said.

“No matter how you mark January 26, this is a real celebration of our diverse community.”

The main change to the day will be the starting time, with events kicking off at around 3pm at the Volunteer Marine Rescue grounds at Shorncliffe.

“We’re looking at an expansion of the free community fun day that we have had in previous years and we’re starting later in the day, as it’s simply so hot at that time of year,” Cr Cassidy said.

Activities could include a sandcastle building competition, fishing activities, water slides and stand up paddle boarding, as well as a jumping castle.

“There will be live entertainment as well and following from the successful Youth Festival, we’d like to have some of young musicians performing on the day,” Cr Cassidy said.

“There will be a free barbecue, the VMRB will have the bar open and we’re looking at the possibility of an open-air movie with free ice-cream and popcorn.

“This is the first year that Stirling, Anika and I have run this event together as a team and with the refocus on the awards and on the citizenship ceremony, I think it’s going to be a great day.

“We’ll be welcoming 60 or so new Australians which is always very special.”

For more information on Australia Day by the Bay, contact Jared Cassidy’s office on 3667 6011 or email deagon.ward@bcc.qld.gov.au.

Stonefish at Shorncliffe This stonefish was found at our pontoon on 11th December so tell family and friends to keep a lookout if walking on the sand near there.

Despite measuring only 30 to 40 centimetres long, the venom that the stonefish produces is some of the most venomous in the world, and is fatal to not just marine animals but humans too.

The stonefish has 13 sharp dorsal fin spines along their back, each armed with two venom glands which release the deadly substance when the fish is disturbed or stepped on. In addition, the stonefish also has two pelvic and three anal spines hidden underneath its thick skin.

With their encrusted brown or grey skin, and red or yellow patches, the stonefish has the ability to blend incredibly well with its surroundings.

Stonefish sink in the sand and wait patiently for shrimps or small fish to swim by so they cannot be seen easily.

Unlike most species of fish, the stonefish is able to survive for up a full day out of water, which is an uncommon trait among the deep-sea animal kingdom.

Sharks, stingrays and seasnakes prey on stonefish so perhaps the evidence of stingray indentations in the sand in front of our base is a good thing!

Surely only its mother could love this fish…!

VMR BRISBANE 7 DECEMBER 2019

Papa Crew’s

Kerry, John

and Tia

The Mid-Week

Crew at Lunch

Venue Manager This is an important voluntary position. Do you have some experience with functions and events or are keen to learn? It’s a great way to gain further experience in the hospitality industry. We are looking for someone preferably with an RSA (Responsible Service of Alcohol) certificate or who is happy to obtain one. Our venue hire and grounds are VMRB's third largest income generator and, with new marketing ideas, we hope to increase this even more in 2020.

Reporting to the Junior Vice President, this position mainly involves the coordination of the hall and grounds hire, stocking of bars, coordinating bar staff, meeting and greeting prospective hirers when available and ensuring the venue is clean and re-stocked ready for the next hire. Don’t be put off by the perceived size of the task, as it could easily be shared with other volunteers.

…and Bar Staff We are also seeking bar people. This is a paid role for when the venue is hired out for private functions. (Some members’ and charity functions will be worked on a volunteer basis). Applicants must be members of VMRB and have an RSA (Responsible Service of Alcohol) certificate or be prepared to obtain one.

Please contact Paul Hollingdale on 0416 699959 or jnr.vice.president@vmrbrisbane.com.au

AMSA The Australian Maritime Safety Authority conducts thorough safety audits on ships coming into Australian waters. Any that don’t comply are detained until rectification is made. The latest figures show that 14 ships were detained in November. This means that sometimes they missed their scheduled departure date, but usually by not more than a day.

The list of faults detected in Newcastle on a Phillipines-based bulk coal carrier was lengthy!:

The shipboard Safety Management System does not ensure effective maintenance of ship, as evidenced by main engine crankcase oil mist detector defective, Vessel operating in UMS mode, numerous

alarms, including critical alarms, for monitoring system put off scan and in manual response mode, Records of daily hours of work/rest do not reflect

actual hours worked on repeated occasions. Work hours during critical operations such as

bunkering, manoeuvring not recorded, Enclosed space entry permits (fuel, oil storage

tanks for cleaning on 10/10/2019 and 16/11/2019) indicate dangerous gas readings. Responsible officer unfamiliar with use of multigas

detector, Safety chains between gaps on railings on deck

not connected properly (unsafe), Access hatches on main deck - securing devices

missing, not properly maintained (few places), Watertight door for carpenter's space in forward

store inoperative and tied in open condition. Manhole door for chain locker not secured, Ballast water exchange not carried out as per

approved ballast management plan, ballast water treatment system defective and exhaust gas leakage from #2 diesel generator aft of auxiliary boiler. The Safety Management System fails to ensure

emergency preparedness as evidenced by hyper mist water fire extinguishing system fail alarm active, main engine crankcase oil mist detector defective, No means available for closing inaccessible fire

dampers for galley exhaust and supply fans, Insufficient fuel in fuel tank for rescue boat, All life rafts securely fastened to cradle and unable

to float-free (rectified during inspection), and Portable foam fire-fighting system near boiler not

available for immediate use. Foam tank empty and filling cap unable to be opened.

VMR BRISBANE 8 DECEMBER 2019

VMR BRISBANE 9 DECEMBER 2019

Jingle By The Bay Friday, 6th December

John, Michael, Angie and Nino waved the flag in the parade – and happily threw out candy canes. There was a huge crowd of thousands lining the parade route four deep.

Thanks to the Tuesday Crew for decorating our boat and our President appeared with the elf hats for them to wear. There was a big cheer when the VMRB boat went by. Our Xiang Dragon Boat Club also featured in the parade.

There was a lot of entertainment for people afterwards. Someone wanted a photo of Santa with Sandgate 2 – except it was our Michael in his VMRB uniform!

Bribie Island Christmas Lights

Boat Parade VMR Brisbane’s vessels Sandgate 1 and Sandgate 2 were involved in the Christmas canal lights at Bribie Island on Saturday, 14th December. The two crews headed up to Bribie Island VMR base to set up the boats with lights ready for the event and to receive a briefing.

We proceeded with 20 other boats to meet at the start of the Pacific Harbour canals. Moving slowly through the canals, the crew got valuable experience in close quarters vessel handling and manoeuvres. The parade went for approx 2 hours through a great majority of the canals. It was a great spectacle to see so many vessels taking part.

We would like to thank VMR Bribie for the chance to partake in the festivities. We will be back bigger and better next year.

After the canal run we headed into the Deception Bay Area to complete some night time holistic assessments for our new night-rated skippers Ben Gillespie and Darren Bates.

Many thanks to the crews that attended and to Karl Nast and Col Neilsen for skippering the vessels.

VMR BRISBANE 10 DECEMBER 2019

Easter Raffle There is the opportunity to win some good prizes in our Easter raffle while helping VMRB with fund-raising so we can continue to operate. Tickets are available now at $5 each or buy a book of 10 to sell on our behalf. For tickets or more info contact jnr.vice.president@vmrbrisbane.com.au

1st Prize details:

Skippered day sail for up to 12 guests to Moreton Island on 12 metre catamaran ' Moreton Magic' See website for details. 3 hour sail over and 4 hours at the island. Departing marina at approximately 0700 and returning approximately 1700. BYO food and beverage. Galley, BBQ and refrigeration available on board. Subject to weather guests will be able to fish, snorkel, kayak and hopefully see dolphins, turtles and dugongs. Bookings are essential and subject to availability. Not redeemable for cash. Peak holidays dates are excluded. Must be used by 30/11/2019 and the recommended retail value is $2000.

Volunteer Marine Rescue Brisbane Inc. Easter Raffle

The raffle will be drawn at the VMR Brisbane Food Trucks night on 17th April 2020 at 1900 hours

Prize details: 2nd Prize details:

This prize is for 2 Adults and 2 Children. The prize is a PREMIUM DOLPHIN FEEDING DAY CRUISE Including: • Return launch transfers from Brisbane • Choice of a signature island tour: 1. 4WD Desert Safari Tour 2. Marine Discover Cruise 3. Whale Watch Tour (Jun-Oct) 4. Aussie Jet Boat 5. Wrecks Snorkel Tour • Wild Dolphin Feeding Experience at sunset • Complimentary dolphin feeding photo (digital copy) • Free Eco Ranger Experiences • 1 x Beverage Voucher per person to be used on boat transfer. • VIP day lounge access and shower facilities. • Lunch Voucher ($20 Adult / $15 Child) or a packed lunch included onboard the Whale Watch Cruise. • Full use of resort facilities and free activities • Holt Street Wharf Parking for one car for the duration of your visit. To book your day cruise, winner must contact reservations at Tangalooma and quote winning voucher number . This prize voucher expires on 30/11/2020 and is valued at rrp $715.

3rd Prize details: This prize is for one night’s luxury accommodation for two people in a Privilege Room including full buffet breakfast. Prize must be taken by 30/11/2020 and RRP is $250.

Personal Locator Beacons

Do you recall seeing a current Telstra advert that says:

“You don’t need the best network… until you do’”?

Well that’s the rationale behind advocating the need for Personal Locator Beacons (PLBs) for people out on the water on jetskis, kayaks, etc.

PLBs are for personal use and are intended to indicate a person in distress who is away from normal emergency services; e.g. 000. They are also used for crew saving applications in shipping and lifeboats at terrestrial systems.

A PLB can be used on land and water and is an ideal size to be carried by mariners, bush-walkers, 4x4 drivers and aviators.

An EPIRB is an inconvenient device to have on a small watercraft but a PLB is compact, waterproof and buoyant with a 24-hour battery life once activated. In addition, the PLB will be with you if you are separated from your watercraft whereas an EPIRB is registered to a vessel. A PLB cannot take the place of an EPIRB when you're in the ocean.

Before you think that you would never get yourself in a situation like that, imagine being dislodged from your jetski, have it move away from you with waves or tides and then you become too exhausted to continue trying to get back it. Perhaps that is what happened to a man who went missing at the end of 2019 at the Gold Coast. His possessions were found on his jetski; maybe his chances would have increased if he had been wearing a PLB.

There are three ways that a PLB can be located by authorities:

1. By the device transmitting the GPS location.

2. Satellites calculating location using Doppler effect. (see below)

3. The use of the homing signal by aircraft or ground crew

What is your life worth?

There are many suppliers of PLBs such as ACR, GME, Joltron, kti, Kannad, McMurdo, Ocean Signal, Salcom and Simrad. Prices vary but start at around $300.

If a 406 MHz emergency beacon is equipped with a Global Position System (GPS) receiver, the digital message transmitted by the beacon can contain the GPS-generated position of the beacon. This is a common feature of modern PLB devices. Once the

signal has been picked up by satellites, emergency services can dispatch to the exact location quickly.

In the absence of GPS coordinates being transmitted, Low Earth Orbiting Search and Rescue (LEOSAR) satellites can compute a location for a 406 MHz emergency beacon using a method called “Doppler shift”. When the beacon is moving toward or away from the satellite track due to the Earth’s rotation, the frequency shift induced by that motion can be used to compute location. Computing a location using Doppler shift requires the satellite to be moving, that is, the satellite cannot be in a geostationary orbit (GEOSAR)

You could activate the PLB in the case of a medical emergency but the time it takes for search and rescue personnel to reach you depends on a number of factors, including the weather, terrain and accessibility of your location. The more remote the location of the distress incident, the longer the response time. Whether your PLB is registered and GPS-equipped also play a very important role. However, if you out on the water on your own, the PLB may be the only hope of someone finding you.

Don’t turn off the PLB, even if you no longer need rescuing. If the signal fails, the rescue team may assume your PLB battery has expired and commence a blind search. If you triggered the PLB by mistake or no longer need assistance, do your best to contact emergency service and let them know what happened, they will direct you to switch it off.

Do leave the PLB on until directed to turn off by the emergency services. If you have not been located yet then leave it on until the battery goes flat.

If you’ve decided that you’ll need a Personal Locator Beacon, the next step is to choose between some of the models available. So how can you choose a PLB for your needs?

If your only need is a one-time use emergency rescue signal with maximum reliability then go with a PLB.

SEND devices are less reliable but allow sometimes for two-way communication or advanced features. Unlike PLBs, SPOT messengers and other SEND devices usually allow more thorough communication. They may send you confirmation that rescue is coming. You can often transmit in-depth messages or relay text messages with rescuers.

The drawbacks of SEND devices are that their signals tend to be much weaker. With obstructed skies, tree cover, or even terrible weather, a GPS lock may fail.

Even if the SOS communication is received, rescuers won’t have the additional radio frequency emitted by a PLB to lock onto.

Bear in mind there are upgrades all the time,

including things like kill switches, so choose wisely.

VMR BRISBANE 11 DECEMBER 2019

Examples

only. Not

actual sizes

Containers Overboard We hear about containers falling off ships and occasionally of accidents when they are struck by other vessels. AMSA has reported on the case of 81 containers which fell off a 200m long ship sailing under the Philippines flag, YM Efficiency, (built in China in 2014) on the Newcastle-Port Stephens coast on 1st January, 2018.

Bear in mind it is two years since the containers went missing and recovery is only just starting to take place! This is mainly because the owners of the ship believe there isn’t a problem with leaving the containers and all their debris where they fell… This is how the recovery operation will happen.

“Five containers have been removed and there are 16 containers yet to be located. Contractors removed approximately 1040 tonnes of pollution from around 400 kilometres of shoreline including plastics, furniture, tyres and paper products.

Leaving the containers in-situ poses an unacceptable environmental risk for the local community and future generations. It also presents a safety risk to local fishers. On 12 December 2019, we signed a contract with Ardent Oceania for the removal and disposal of 60 containers.

The salvage operation will start in March 2020, and the recovery of the containers is expected to be completed within a month, subject to weather conditions.

Debris recovered from the ocean, will be transported to a specially constructed waste reception facility in the Port of Newcastle.

Here the waste will be classified, stored, transported and disposed of according to NSW Environmental Protection Authority Waste Guidelines.

Risk mitigation will be undertaken to reduce any effects on the marine and coastal environment during the pollution recovery operations.

Getting the job done

Ardent Oceania will be tasked to recover the containers, debris and other pollution from the seabed using an offshore salvage vessel, equipped with specially designed salvage tools.

A remotely operated underwater vehicle (ROUV) will be deployed to support recovery operations. The ROUV is equipped to manage crane strops and wires, cut containers to separate them or create water egress holes and to pick up loose debris.

A crane will deposit a large custom fabricated metal basket near the container and the ROUV will assist with attaching the crane to the container and lift it into the basket. The basket sides are enclosed with small mesh to minimise any spill during lifting and recovery operations.

On surfacing, the basket and container will be slowly lifted to drain, then removed by crane for storage on the ship.

There will be no access to containers and the container and contents will be secured until brought ashore and managed according to NSW Environmental Protection Authority Waste Classification Guidelines.

If a container can’t be lifted into the basket, the crane will load debris and container components into the basket with a hydraulic grab. Once on board, loose debris will be placed in enclosed bins for removal in port.

A small workboat will scour the local sea surface to retrieve any debris which may escape during a lift.

The ROUV will assess remaining seabed debris and help guide a crane grab to clear the site.

Finally the RUOV will survey the site and provide evidence the site is clear of debris before moving to the next container location.

Onshore containment and disposal

Port of Newcastle will host a temporary area to receive, manage and transport recovered waste.

A bunding area will be constructed to prevent water pollution from the site entering Port waters.

The waste management plan and processes will be reviewed and agreed to with NSW EPA to ensure consistency with their regulatory requirements.

Biosecurity protocols have been addressed with both Australian Border Force and the Department of Agriculture.

Cost Recovery

Since the initial clean-up, AMSA has attempted to engage with the Taiwanese owners of the YM Efficiency, Yang Ming, about their ongoing responsibility to remove the remaining containers from the seafloor.

Yang Ming and their insurers Britannia P&I have taken a position that they do not believe that the containers constitute pollution.

The ship’s owners Yang Ming are responsible for retrieving containers and meeting the costs of retrieving containers; the principle being that the polluter pays. Yang Ming’s failure to fulfil their obligations to retrieve the containers has meant that AMSA has stepped in to start the recovery operation. AMSA intends to recover all costs associated with the clean-up from Yang Ming and its insurer Britannia P&I.”

VMR BRISBANE 12 DECEMBER 2019